Overflowing Heart
by Neferit
Summary: Bilbo married his best friend, Viola Whitfoot, and even if there were sad events in their life, it was most joyous time of his life. Until he found himself at his wife's deathbed, and later, in company of dwarves who did not respect him even a little bit. Part 3 - Viola's view. Now finished!
1. Bilbo

**A/N:** How crazy I am, to write an AU to an AU? Anyway, this was written as a response to the prompt over at hobbitkink meme:

_He lost his sweetheart a few months back, and have been on his own ever since then, trying to regain some direction in life. Then Gandalf comes with the adventure. Maybe Bilbo is able to move on and love some of the dwarves, maybe he is happy waiting to be reunited with his Hobbit in the afterlife. The spouse could have been either female or male; maybe they had children who also perished in a tragic event. Mpreg is also okay._

So, to introduce the AU Viola (which you may or may not remember from my other story, _Where you go, I go_, in which she remains only friend to Bilbo) dies only few months before the Company finds their way to the Bag End, leaving Bilbo all alone. Also, did I mention that I absolutely adore moving the timeline all around, just because I can?

The story will be in three parts, all of which will be posted here - Bilbo, Company and Others, and Viola. I will probably rewrite parts of it later, but at this time, I will focus on actually writing them xD

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, although I have to say that my Muse can be really twisted at times.

* * *

**1. Bilbo**

_I'm holding a cup in my hands,_

_that waits for lips of thirsty man._

_I'm holding a cup in my hands,_

_My overflowing heart._

- František Gellner, Přetékající pohár

**-o.O.o-**

For as long as Bilbo could remember, every time he looked to his side, he could see Viola there, glancing at him and giving him a wide smile (even back during that time when wolves and orcs attacked the Shire and he managed to defend the two of them before the wolves). They were inseparable, where one was, the other would sure soon follow, the hobbits of Hobbiton liked to say; always getting in trouble in their search for 'adventure'. Both his parents liked the lass, always willing to offer help, if needed, laughing freely and being there, when Bungo Baggins died, and Belladona and Bilbo were left in the smial Bungo built for his wife, when she accepted his proposal.

Now, Bilbo was in for the greatest adventure, for the greatest risk in his whole life – he was about to propose to his only true friend, deadly afraid of hurting the relationship the two of them shared.

But then he just blurted out the question at Viola, earning himself the widest and fondest smile he could imagine, and the very first kiss he shared with his wife-to-be.

**-o.O.o-**

There had been much dancing, eating and merry-making on the day Viola and Bilbo were wed. His eyes were always drawn to his wife, so beautiful in her wedding dress, with flowers in her hair, her hand soft and warm in his.

His mother gazed at them with a soft smile, taking in the sight of their happiness.

Few months later, it was once again only two hobbits in Bag End, as Belladona passed away, following after her husband. And once again, Viola was there for Bilbo, as he mourned his mother, slowly making him see the light in his life again, filling Bag End with laugher and joy once more.

**-o.O.o-**

For years, it was just the two of them in Bag End, and Bilbo never thought the whole place empty – not with Viola by his side every day, not with Viola waking up in his arms, not with Viola kissing him at every opportunity, just like when they were first married. Yet, when Viola told him softly that in several months there will be more of them in the smial, and whether he would prefer son or daughter, he could not stop himself from grabbing her in his arms and pepper her face with kisses.

She laughed so, when he danced with her around her home, carrying her to their bedroom afterwards.

In several months, they will have family, and Bilbo thought he could not be any happier.

**-o.O.o-**

Everything in Viola's pregnancy was going fine – she didn't suffer from the morning sickness like so many others, and while her ankles got swollen and her back ached, it was nothing Bilbo couldn't soothe with a careful massage (although he was still a bit surprised at some of the cravings Viola expressed, and he wasn't thinking about food only).

It just showed that fate was still not finished with him, when Viola's water broke, and together with it came blood. After several hours, their child, little boy with light hair and Viola's nose and Bilbo's mouth, was born stillborn, and the knowledge made them both cry bitterly.

But Viola wouldn't stop bleeding, and only hours after he held his dead child, he was holding his dying wife, feeling her grasp on his fingers getting weaker by each passing moment, as he begged her not to leave him, and she gave him one last smile, radiant and sad and so very soft, and whispered:

"I love you."

Bilbo felt numb. In matter of hours, his whole life shattered in front of his eyes, and for the very first time in his life, he was completely alone in the smial, the size of his smial oppressive instead of comforting, and he couldn't bring himself to even try to imagine how he will continue with his life.

**-o.O.o-**

For months, he had been unable to look at anything in Bag End without crying, as everything reminded him of loved ones he lost. Belladona's and Bungo's portraits, Viola's dried flowers arrangement, Viola's curtains in the windows, Belladona's treasure chest, Bungo's chair, all the handkerchiefs Viola gave to him on her birthday, the brass buttons on his vest, Belladona's plates (which Viola liked so very much, because they reminded her on her mother-in-law), Bungo's knives.

Hamfast Gamgee, his closest neighbour, forced him to continue onward with his life, making him work on his garden, go shopping during the Market days, and Bilbo had a feeling that Hamfast also had a hand in the sudden visits of his cousins.

He still woke up in his (their) bed, his arms reaching for her, only to realize that the reality is still bleak and lonely. But after long months, he finally started to smile again. And that was when everything went topsy-turvy again.

**-o.O.o-**

So, the Grey Wizard, whom he remembered from several celebrations whole decades ago, journeyed to the Shire once again, looking for an adventurous hobbit.

The next thing he knew was that his smial was full of dwarves, who disrespected everything he held sacred – starting with cleaning their boots over his mother's treasure chest to throwing her plates and his father's cutlery around the smial, laughing over the way he chased after them, so scared they will knock over any of Viola's flower arrangements or tear any of the embroidered covers she used to place over chairs.

The leader of the dwarves had the gall to insult him in his house, his words only adding further salt to the injury. He refused to join them on their quest, their song about the Lonely Mountain not moving him in the slightest, but something happened that made him chase after the company the next day.

Viola appeared in his dreams, and when he woke up, he could hear her voice telling him to pack his things, and run after the Company, because without him, their quest will fail.

Only when he managed to chase them down he realized he forgot one of Viola's handkerchiefs, bringing the mockery of the dwarves on himself again. One of them, Bofur, if he remembered correctly, tore a piece of his own clothing and threw him the cloth, saying it was better than no handkerchief at all.

While true, it certainly didn't hold the value to Bilbo as Viola's creations would.

**-o.O.o-**

_'Sit straighter, Bilbo, and allow yourself to move together with the pony.'_

"Her name is Myrtle and I think she hates me," grumbled Bilbo, glaring at Viola, as she walked beside his pony. She chuckled. _'She adores you, as any other woman would,'_ she teased him, _'but you sitting so straight hurts her, and when hurting, women are grumpy, or have you forgotten?'_

"I haven't," confessed Bilbo, moving to sit straighter. "Sorry, Myrtle," he murmured to his pony, patting her neck, the pony slightly turning her head and snorting softly.

Behind him, Kili and Fili exchanged glances. To them, it looked as if this Mister Boggins (_'Baggins, Kili'_) was a bit off in the head; he only rarely joined the others in a conversation, but seemed quite content to have whole conversations with himself.

This thing was just weird, but they felt like they would find the core of this. In time.

**-o.O.o-**

_'He's so very proud of his son.'_

"Of course he is – and his wife! What man wouldn't be proud of his family?"

"Mister Baggins, are you alright?"

"Oh," jumped Bilbo, as Gloin spoke to him. "Of course. Just thought of something. Tell me more about your son," he requested, the dwarf's face immediately alight at the mention of his pride. And beside him, Viola gave him a small smile and leaned in to listen more closely.

**-o.O.o-**

"You can't eat those dwarves!"

"Why not?"

"Because…" Bilbo desperately searched for a reason why the trolls shouldn't eat the dwarves when Viola spoke: _'Think of what would make us hobbits not to eat something…'_

"Because they've gotten parasites in their tubes!"

The idea had its merits, Balin thought, and part of him wondered where Bilbo came across it. All he could remember was hobbit standing before the trolls, only to turn his face to the side a bit and then just blurting it out.

**-o.O.o-**

Viola seemed to be awed by the elven architercture, as much as Bilbo. Both of them looked around the place, Viola asking Bilbo to talk to more and more elves, so she would learn more about them, and Bilbo, curious himself, asked even more questions than she asked him to.

If the dwarves thought him a bit weird, as he sat with them for the dinner, his head leaning to the side as he ate and giggled over something, they didn't say it aloud.

(Viola was just making smart comments about dwarves and their vegetables, and Bilbo couldn't help but laugh, when he himself sneaked a peak at them and saw them making faces over all the green food they were served.

_'I bet it's elven revenge over the insults Thorin threw their way.'_

Bilbo was inclined to believe every single word of that.)

**-o.O.o-**

_'Hold on, Bilbo, hold on!'_

For a moment, Bilbo was tempted to just let go, as he hung from the edge of the rock, with his grip on the stone slipping. Bofur was trying to reach him, but in the end it was Thorin who swept down and dragged him up, insulting him in response to his thanks.

It would have been funny to hear Viola yell at Thorin's back, but for the time being, Bilbo just felt alone, as Viola might have been there, but he was unable to hold her, and draw some comfort from her closeness.

**-o.O.o-**

_'Bilbo, _now_!'_

Listening to what his wife said, he quietly slipped away into the shadows, as the goblins pushed the dwarves forward. He was sneaking around carefully, sure his steps didn't make any sound, but suddenly, there was a goblin behind him, and even if Viola shouted a warning, all he could do was to turn around, and face the goblin, as they fell down.

**-o.O.o-**

_'Ask him the riddle about egg.'_

Bilbo was sweating. His life was once again only a small step from its ending, that scary creature, Gollum, forcing him to play games for his life. They asked riddles, and answered them while the other one was pressuring them into quick answer, and suddenly, there was supposed to be one last question, and Bilbo felt his head getting completely empty.

_'Your pocket, Bilbo…'_

"What do I have in my pocket?"

He run after that, the Gollum creature after him, as he got stuck in a very narrow passage. _'Duck!'_ shouted Viola, her voice desperate, as she jumped between them, and for a moment, Bilbo though Gollum had to see her, because his assault slowed down enough for him to push through, his brass buttons flying all around as they gave in, and he fell to the ground, the ring suddenly slipping on his finger.

There! The dwarves were rushing through, Gandalf with them, and he run after them with every ounce of energy still left in him.

**-o.O.o-**

As the eagles set them down and Gandalf managed to heal quite a few of Thorin's injuries, Bilbo was sitting on the edge of the Carrock and gazed down.

_'You did well, my beloved,'_ said Viola, sitting next to him and leaning her head against his shoulder, and when Bilbo closed his eyes, he could feel something weighting down there.

Dwalin interrupted the moment, though, and as he looked around, Bilbo finally realized that all but one of his buttons are missing. He panicked a bit over it, making the dwarves laugh over it. And in that moment, Bilbo finally had enough.

"Just for your information," he snapped, "it's not a concern over my appearance – those buttons were one of the few things I had of my wife!"

The laughter stopped immediately; no one was used to such outbursts from usually quiet hobbit. It was Bofur, who broke the silence:

"You are _married_?!"

**-o.O.o-**

Bilbo wasn't really proud of himself, when he recalled the scene he made at top of Carrock – but the constant disrespect to everything he held dear made him snap in the end.

"Widowed," he barked, causing the dwarves cringe. "My wife died several months before Gandalf arrived to Shire."

"Why didn't you say anything, mister Boggins?" asked Kili, his voice sounding a bit hurt.

And Bilbo snapped again. "Right," he gritted through his teeth, "as if any of you showed any respect to me before or during the journey so far. You," he pointed at Kili, "cleaned your shoes over my mother's treasure chest, without minding its value to me. You," he pointed at other dwarves, "threw around my mother's dishes and my father's cutlery, without any respect to their memory. And now," he laughed bitterly, "_now_ you expect me to believe you would treat my wife's memory with more respect? Bah!"

He turned on his heel and stomped into the trees surrounding the camp, without any concern about the commotion he just caused.

**-o.O.o-**

No one approached him about the topic of his Viola until they reached house of Beorn, Gandalf's friend, and Bilbo was dreading the moment one of them asked about her. Viola herself had been quiet, only walking by his side, only sometimes humming a tune to which he joined out of habit; once it was a mournful song of lost people (which strangely reminded him of dwarves), there it was a song of unrequited love, and then it was the melody of polka they loved to dance at every celebration even before they engaged.

It was Ori, who approached him in the end; the scribe nervous about the whole thing but eventually gathering enough courage to ask his question.

"Mister Baggins, could you tell me more about your wife? I would love to hear about her."

And for the first time in what seemed like forever, Bilbo found himself speaking of her; of all those times they got into trouble, all those times they were there for each other, of the time he proposed and she said yes, of their wedding; he even showed Ori the locket Viola had made for him – with small portraits of them on their wedding day. When he spoke of her death, the whole company was already gathered around, and as tears streamed down his cheeks, it was Dori and Bofur who gathered him in their embrace as he cried over the loss of his wife and child.

Ori presented him with a sketch of the portraits the next day, bring tears into his eyes, as he gazed upon it. Viola by his side just gasped; her hand coming to cover her mouth, as she looked at the details Ori managed to copy from the small painting.

And Ori himself had a vague feeling of someone tapping him on his shoulder afterwards; feeling strangely accomplished at the grateful smile Bilbo gave him.

**-o.O.o-**

The whole Company treated Bilbo differently afterwards, and not only because he saved Thorin's life after their escape from goblin city. The knowledge that the hobbit knows loss all too well certainly made the dwarves a bit self-conscious about their treatment of the hobbit, and they were more respectful now.

Viola kept to his side when they entered Mirkwood; moving alongside the Company, keeping and extra set of eyes for any danger.

It was thanks to her that Bilbo managed to put on the ring, and save the Company before the spiders, but even then, the dwarves still got captured by the Mirkwood elves, and Bilbo was the only one who could more around the elven settlement without being seen.

He was in for several long weeks of sneaking around, only Viola constantly at his side, offering words of encouragement every time he felt his spirits drop.

It was thanks to her ideas they managed to run, and buy enough equipment in the Lake-town afterwards, as he followed on her suggestion to steal some of Thranduil's (or elven king) treasures, much to Thorin's glee.

They were still in for the terrible surprise in the form of dragon in the depths of Lonely Mountain, but Bilbo actually felt rather optimistic about it.

After all, he was their lucky number, the barrel rider and holder of the sting.

**-o.O.o-**

Even if it took several long days, Bilbo felt it rushing around him at dragon speed. The dwarves faling to the gold-sickness nearly immediately after re-taking the mountain from Smaug the Dragon, as he flew away, and destroyed the Lake-town; the Men and Elves marching to the mountain, and him stealing the Arkenstone, offering it to Bard as a bargain chip, so the Man could get the gold he needed so much to start rebuilding the city on the lake.

In his madness, Thorin certainly wasn't very happy that the Man had the stone he had been so eager to get his hands on, and as he held Bilbo over the edge of the wall, his hand around his throat, Bilbo found himself wishing for an end, where he would be able to rejoin Viola, who hadn't been around as much as she had been during the journey. Gandalf called to the madness-driven dwarven king, and Bilbo found himself released to stand on the ground, and being exiled from the Lonely Mountain.

No one said a word in his defence, or to his support, but Bilbo had not been surprised by that. Blood is thicker than water, and he wasn't related to any of the dwarves, so why should any of them support him? Still, it hurt; to know he didn't mean enough to the dwarves for them to say at least a word, as he hung from Thorin's grasp.

The battle of Five Armies, as it was called later, had been a terrible nightmare, lightened only by Viola's presence at his side. His wife was once again right next to him, shouting warnings about orcs, or his dwarven companions being in danger, and Bilbo was running all around the battlefield.

In the end, he was knocked unconscious by a stone that hit him in the head, just as the eagles appeared on the battlefield.

**-o.O.o-**

He was up on the battlefield; the battle already finished, and only those who were looking for survivors were moving around still.

_'You still have your ring on, darling,'_ whispered soft voice, and Viola appeared in front of Bilbo. She was wearing exactly the same smile she gave to Bilbo before she died, and he felt his heart clench painfully.

"You're not leaving, are you?" he blurted, and Viola looked towards her feet. '_I will be leaving soon,'_ she said, raising her eyes to meet his again. '_You needed me on the journey to retake Erebor, and to find your way in life again. Now… you found it.'_

"Do not leave me," he whispered, tears forming in his eyes. "I love you. I will always need you."

_'And I will always need you and love you, my beloved,'_ replied Viola, her eyes shining with unshed tears. _'But it's time for you to continue with your life, as there will be others needing you. Live,' _she whispered fervently, tears finally falling down, '_live long, and live gloriously.'_

When Dwalin finally found him, Bilbo had been sobbing bitterly at second loss of his wife. Yet at the same time, his heart felt lighter than it did in months.

**-o.O.o-**

Bilbo never really moved on, or remarried for the sake of his properties. Viola forever held her place in his heart, and to tell the truth, he never tried to find anyone else after her. Many decades later, he found himself stepping on board of elven ship, inbound to the Undying Lands, and he felt his lips form a small smile.

There was whistle behind him. Looking around, he saw Viola running towards him, and he opened his arms to catch her in his embrace.

"I love you," he whispered to her hair, as he held her close at last. And his wife looked up, gave him a smile, and kissed him, her lips tasting as sweet as a water would taste to someone, who had suffered from thirst for a very, very long time.


	2. Company

**A/N:** This part is for reactions of the Company and other people they run into during the journey to retake Erebor.

**Disclaimer:** I still own nothing, but really, such a pipe with Old Toby...

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**2. Company**

_"Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad."_

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

**-o.O.o-**

For once, the company was speechless, after their burglar stormed off when he finished saying his piece. It was almost funny, how everything started to fall together, when they finally learnt the final piece of puzzle.

Bilbo Baggins had been married. He had been married, and had been a widower for several months before the company arrived. The urgency with which he chased after family heirlooms, in which he took care of his buttons, always making them shining in the light, how he always fussed about not having a proper handkerchief, always giving off impression of coldness in relation to everyone, as he only rarely joined in their evening merriment.

How much worse could one get, when they made light of such a loss?

**-o.O.o-**

Bilbo returned when darkness had fallen, his eyes red and puffy, his gaze daring anyone to comment on that. For a moment, Gloin seemed like he wanted to remark on his wife, but Thorin, in rather rare moment of showing manners, elbowed him in the ribs, making the other dwarf close his mouth with a loud snap.

The hobbit was undisturbed for several days, the dwarves, together with Gandalf, nearly walking on their tiptoes for several days. Their burglar only rarely spoke; instead, he would be humming various melodies - some of them mournful, while others sounded of joy and happiness.

Only after they arrived to Beorn's house Ori gathered courage to come up to the hobbit with his book and quill. "Master Baggins, would you tell me of your wife? I would love to hear about her."

For a moment it seemed as if the hobbit would refuse, before his eyes slid to someplace sideways from Ori, before they returned to the scribe. "Of course," he said, gesturing to Ori to sit down by his side as he lit his pipe; the item surprisingly surviving everything so far, and loaded with precious dose of Old Toby he somehow managed to save.

"To tell the truth, I can't remember when we first met, my Viola and I," Bilbo started quietly, puffing on his pipe. "The first memory I have is already with Viola by my side, as we would run all around Hobbiton, chasing after each other, pulling pranks on unsuspecting hobbits or pretending we are great adventurers." He smiled, his eyes getting faraway look. "Viola would always find a reason to smile, and I do not thing we would have managed without her when my father died."

He sobered, although the smile remained. "When I proposed to her, she gave me the biggest smile ever. And then she flung herself at me, kissing me for the first time out of many."

The burglar told Ori about their wedding, about all the planning, and merriment when the event finally took place; he even pulled a small locket out of his pocket, reverently holding it in his hands before he clicked it open. Inside was a miniature of Bilbo and a pretty hobbit woman, both of them smiling - from what Ori could see, the woman, Viola, had her eyes only on the man by her side, while Bilbo looked as if he was smirking at whoever was painting the miniature, his arm wrapped around his wife's waist.

"My mother died soon after we wed," Bilbo continued his tale. "And Viola would once again be the only one who could bring laughter into our smial again."

By that time, majority of the company surrounded the two of them; only Gandalf remained further away with the skinchanger - both of them within the earshot. Bilbo would tell about the number of events the two of them took part in; remembering every single one of the gifts he received from his wife for their anniversary, until it came to the day his wife announced her pregnancy.

"We were both so very happy," Bilbo said quietly, his eyes on the locket in his hand. "In a few months, we would have a little boy or girl in our lives - what was there not to be looking forward to?"

He couldn't hold his tears back, when it came to the fateful day his child, a small boy, had been born stillborn, his wife following after their child mere hours after giving the birth. "She told me she loved me," he whispered, "but _why_ did the gods deem to take her away from me?"

He was crying openly when he finished his tale, and for the first time, the dwarves did something they should have done long time ago - hugged him. Dori and Bofur enveloped him in their embrace, and if Ori was any judge, it seemed to do the trick to comfort the mourning hobbit.

Ori himself hadn't sleep for long that night - his mind whirling about the image of Bilbo's wedding, his hand and strokes of his quill quick and sure, as he made a bigger sketch of the miniature. He couldn't give Bilbo a better present, he felt, as he watched Bilbo's eyes widening at the sight of the sketch.

For a moment, he felt as if someone pressed his shoulder, but when he looked around, no one had been even close to him to do so.

**-o.O.o-**

They haven't spoken about the subject for several weeks afterwards, when Bilbo let it slip that Viola thought something.

"Mister Boggins," offered unsure sounding Kili. "Your wife - we all know you loved her very much, but she's dead. She can't think anything anymore."

The hobbit looked unsure for a moment, before he continued in the plan he made. His eyes would slid to the side time to time, as he spoke, alarming the whole company, especially when they started to remember all those times when he would be talking to him, or to the empty air before.

Was their burglar hallucinating?

He still managed to get them out of Thranduil's prison, smuggling them out in the empty barrels, emptied by the feast the elves held. It was only because of him and his (no matter how much he claimed it was Viola's work) ideas of stealing Thranduil's valuables, so they could buy themselves new equipment and continue their way to Lonely Mountain.

Out of them all, he was the only one to fall sick - the long weeks of sneaking around elven palace with not enough foor or rest, together with the crazy barrel ride in cold waters taking their toll on the hobbit, rendering him feverish for several agonizing days, before he got better.

It brought tears into eyes of the dwarves, when he would call for his wife in his fever, none of them having the heart to tell him she's not there.

**-o.O.o-**

The sorrow finally drove their burglar mad, Dwalin thought, as he watched him calmly standing up and proclaiming himself as the source of the Arkenstone in Bard's hands. Even in depths of golden fever (all of them suffered from it, to various degree), Thorin was still their king, and as such, his will was their command - none of them dared to speak up, when Thorin threatened to throw the burglar down.

Still, they all felt a deep relief when the Wizard, Gandalf, called up and demanded Bilbo being returned to him, even if it actually might have been mercy to just kill him and let him rejoin the wife he loved so much.

**-o.O.o-**

All of the dwarves just knew their (if they still had the right to call him so) burglar had been present throughout the whole battle, later known as Battle of Five Armies. Every time any of them got into situation stickier than the rest, their opponent would be cut down by invisible blade, familiar voice shouting as the orcs fell.

"The eagles are coming!"

None of them had heard, nor seen, the hobbit afterwards, and it took them hours of frantic searching through the battlefield afterward to discover the lonely hobbit, surrounded by dead enemies.

He had been crying, with bloody wound on his head, and when Dwalin rushed to him, he only looked up and said: "She's gone."

And Dwalin couldn't do anything else than hold the weeping hobbit awkwardly in his arms, as he mourned the final loss of his wife. Never again had he spoke of her in present tense, but his eyes no longer held that deep sadness in them, even if smile still came only slowly to him.

**-o.O.o-**

It took decades to them to see their burglar again - Gloin ran into him in Rivendell, out of all possible places; the hobbit old and frail, but his eyes held surprisingly content look in them.

They spoke for a very long time, both of them having so many years to tell each other about, and both of them had someone they wanted the other one to get to know.

Bilbo finally got to meet Gimli, the dwarf he heard so much about, and Gloin got to meet the one who brought some joy into the life of his friend again - Bilbo's nephew Frodo. With so much to talk about, both of them left the youngsters to themselves, as they went to Bilbo's rooms to speak more.

Gloin didn't know it was the last time he saw his friend; but when his son returned to Lonely Mountain with news of the One Ring destroyed, and both hobbit ringbears leaving Middle Earth, he couldn't help but hope his friend would be reunited with his wife again.

His dreams that day had been full of laughter and blooming meadows, and he knew that his hope had been fullfilled.

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**A/N:** By the way, I chose that "wedding miniature" mentioned in this chapter as the Story Image. I really wish I could draw, but sadly, all I have are my - at times questionable - writing skills.


	3. Viola

**A/N:** And part about Viola. Thanks everyone, who were up for the ride with this prompt - your support made my day every time I updated this story. You folks rock my socks!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, but my own hurting heart. And a box of paper tissues.

* * *

**3. Viola**

_Dividing us there lies no sea, _  
_ nor mountain barrier:_  
_ only a handful of spreading grass _  
_ is our growing frontier._

_ The wind sweeps over mountain tops, _  
_ and a bird can cross the sea:_  
_ but that little grass holds our searching hands _  
_ apart eternally._

- Josef Václav Sládek, _Grass_

**-o.O.o-**

"I love you."

Those words always meant world to Viola, no matter whether she said them herself, or if she was hearing them from Bilbo, always accompanied by that gentle smile he reserved only for her.

"I love you."

As she cried in the Blessed Lands, she couldn't stop herself from thinking about her beloved husband. How devastated he must feel, after he lost not only his wife, but also newborn child! Sure, he knew loss of loved ones before, but never had he been alone in bearing the sorrow - she was always there with him, helping him to pick up the pieces his life shattered into, and shape it back into cup overflowing with happiness and joy once again.

Now, Bilbo was all alone, and in those precious little moments she was allowed to see him in the magical pool, he was sinking lower and lower, no matter how much his friend Hamfast or his cousins tried to help him.

She saw how carefully he handled his mother's dishes.

She saw how carefully he sat in his father's chair.

She saw how carefully he dusted her floral arrangements.

She saw the bitter tears he spilt every night, his arms reaching towards the side of bed that used to be hers, and saw the tears that came with the morning, when he woke up and she was not there.

She saw every single small thing he did as if to keep the presence of his loved ones he lost, and it made her cry as well.

"Please," she begged Yavanna, when she was given the rare opportunity to come before the goddess, "please, let me help my Bilbo - he is so lost..."

And Yavanna allowed it; allowed her spirit become visible to her Bilbo, just as the Bag End was invaded by the dwarven company, that mocked him and insulted him in every possible sense, causing him to nearly tear up at the sight of how badly they treated everything he held so dear. For that moment, Viola remained unseen, but heard everything what was said.

The world truly _was_ out there, and Viola could see how the lands outside the Shire could awaken Bilbo again.

**-o.O.o-**

She entered Bilbo's dreams that night, letting herself feel his dream embrace again, crying together with him, as a little piece of himself got repaired, when she told him he has to join the dwarves, as without him, Erebor will never be retaken.

When he woke up, she was there, running along him, as he chased after the dwarves.

A small part of her teared up, as he panicked over his missing handkerchief. After all, she gave these to him, and for a moment, all her work on rebuilding Bilbo's life so far had been undone. But soon, she thought, soon that piece will be repaired.

**-o.O.o-**

She kept walking next to his pony, no matter how quickly they were moving. The perks of being dead and not really there, she though, as she moved without any trouble, teasing her Bilbo along the way, bringing small smiles to his face once again.

Well, the dwarves certainly seemed to think Bilbo was at least a bit odd from the very beginning, so it wouldn't mark as much that he talked to himself, as it obviously seemed to the dwarves. Neither of them cared about it, though; instead, they would tease each other like they did before Bilbo proposed, both of them offering a little jab here and there, creating secret jokes about the company.

Because really, how directionally challenged can one get?

**-o.O.o-**

There were moments when Viola was quite happy to not really be there for anyone else but Bilbo. Like the time when Kili and Fili thought it rather funny to send her husband to get their ponies back from the trolls.

If she could, she would tear every single one of their hair out of its proper place. Endangering Bilbo like that, just for the sake of their fun!

In the end they managed to trick the trolls, but Viola felt it a close call. A bit too close.

**-o.O.o-**

The city of elves, Rivendell, had been a sight to behold - Viola found herself roaming the city, when Bilbo went to sleep; and she couldn't get enough of it. The architecture, the grace of elves, the cheek (although masked under politeness) they showed the dwarves... all of it intrigued her.

She still felt herself shocked, when she found herself standing in front of Lord Elrond, and he looked directly at her.

"Who are you?" he asked, and she told him everything, impossibly grateful for one more soul capable of seeing her. He nodded his understanding, when she pleaded he didn't tell the dwarves about her, about Bilbo. It was his own secret to keep and to decide whether he should tell it.

Not to mention, the elven Lord made it his personal mission to entertain his hobbit guest afterwards, keeping him company most of the time he wandered through Rivendell himself.

**-o.O.o-**

As much as Viola was quite happy to be invisible to others, there were times should would sacrifice her right hand to be able to be there for Bilbo in physical way. Like when the company got into battle of mountain giants and for a moment, Bilbo was hanging over the egde of the rocks, with Viola unable to help him.

It hurt so much to see the fear in the eyes of her husband and not being able to help.

Thorin had to save the day, and Viola was grateful for her Bilbo's life - until the dwarven king decided to insult her husband even further, and in that moment Viola felt flaming anger in her.

She screamed after the dwarf, with no one but Bilbo hearing her voice.

**-o.O.o-**

Leading Bilbo out of the caves had been tricky - she might have been able to pass through the walls, but in the end, it was Bilbo who had to walk the narrow corridors and hide before the goblins.

Like that foul creature, Gollum. Gollum wasn't a goblin, that much Viola could say, but it was a twisted creature, used to living in the dark, its eyes shining with unnatural light.

And it wanted to play riddles with Bilbo.

When the creature flung itself at her beloved, Viola jumped between them and screamed - for a fleeting moment Gollum's eyes widened and his movements faltered, just enough for Bilbo to sneak through the narrowest part of the corridor and after the dwarves.

**-o.O.o-**

She was so very proud of her husband, who finally got accepted into the company. And it was also the moment when Bilbo's secret exploded in the collective face of company. After the final straw that broke the proverbial camel's back, Bilbo snapped and then stormed away, leaving the dwarves gaping after him.

She rushed after him, and just watched over him as he cried his sorrow out.

**-o.O.o-**

There wasn't much to be said after the scene at Carrock, so Viola kept her words to herself; instead offering comfort to Bilbo through songs they used to sing together. Nobody seemed willing to breach the subject of her death, so at the moment, Bilbo had been left alone by the dwarves and by Gandalf, at least until they reached home of skinchanger Beorn.

Beorn sure took shine in the 'little bunny', as he started to call Bilbo, and even though Bilbo tried to look annoyed at being called that, Viola could see the corners of his mouth raising minutely, as Beorn carried him around, speaking to his 'little bunny', and promising him lot of honey and bread to fatten him up.

Bilbo desperately needed the affectionate touch Beorn seemed so willing to give, and he basked in the affection like a kitten would bask in the sun.

It was partly because of the reprieve, and because of the affection freely given and gratefully accepted that Bilbo had been willing to speak about her at all. The dwarves, as well as Gandalf and Beorn, all listened carefully to what Bilbo had to say, and when Dori and Bofur hugged him, Viola felt the tension in her body to relent.

Even if he still needed her, her Bilbo was finally not all alone anymore.

**-o.O.o-**

She was so proud of her dear Bilbo. He was able to fight the monstrous spiders, and survive all those long weeks in the palace of elven king - and even if he said it was mostly because of her, she knew better.

Bilbo was getting strong, so much stronger than he would have thought himself capable of being.

She planted the idea of following after the guards who carried food to the prisoners, but it was him who had to remember how to get to each of the cells.

She told him he should try to steal some smaller valuables to sell, once they are out of here, so they have enough money to buy new equipment, but it was him who actually had to sneak those into the pockets of the dwarves, so he wouldn't drop them anywhere and made elves aware of his presence.

She suggested the feast as the time for them to make their escape, but it was him who had to get the keys, unlock all the cells, return keys, sneak all the dwarves through the palace and into the cellars, get them into the barrels and then survive the ride in the cold river.

Her heart still clenched painfully, as if it was still beating in her bosom, when in his fevered state he would reach for her and called her name.

Off were they to the Lonely Mountain. Soon it will all end, and with a sense of dread Viola thought that once this is over, Bilbo will not need her anymore.

**-o.O.o-**

She would never understand dwarves, their overbearing fondness of cold metals and gems. Especially not when they became so obsessed with them that they wouldn't pay attention to anything else.

Bilbo had been beside himself with worry, when he heard the ravens report elves and Men from Laketown coming near, and Thorin refusing them any gold for the losses the city suffered when Smaug left the mountain.

"They will need something really special to make Thorin see any reason," she offered, when Bilbo paced around the small room he claimed as his. He immediately looked up.

"Yes, something special..." his voice trailed into silence as he stared at his backpack.

The Arkenstone, the Heart of the Mountain. _Nothing_ could be better than that, if Thorin and the rest of the company were to see reason ever again.

**-o.O.o-**

_They almost let her Bilbo die._

Thorin Oakenshield held him by his neck above the ground, over a bloody stone, and no one moved a finger to do anything - Thorin snapped out of it only when Gandalf's voice thundered over the plain and demanded he leaves the hobbit in one piece.

It certainly didn't surprise her in the slightest, when the elven King, Thranduil, did a double take, when he saw her. She just motioned for him to _please_ keep her presence down, and once the talks about the dwarven army of Dain of Iron Hills had been finished, she followed after the elven King.

"Who are you?" the King asked, his eyes sparking with curiosity. And so she once again explained who she was and what was her purpose, the elf nodding his understanding at her explanation.

Soon after, Dain and his dwarves arrived under the mountain, and not long after that, the orcs made their appearance as well.

**-o.O.o-**

During the battle, Viola didn't move from Bilbo's side; her eyes always watching around, as she didn't have to worry about being struck by orcish blade, to shout a warning whether one of their (probably former) companions had been in danger, or if Bilbo got too close to an enemy blade.

It worked for most of the battle, but then the eagles and Beorn arrived and neither Bilbo, nor Viola, noticed the stone that flew through the air, until it struck Bilbo in the head, successfully knocking him out.

**-o.O.o-**

Viola sat by Bilbo's side ever since he got knocked out, not wishing him to wake up completely alone. But she could feel the bond keeping her in the world of living weaken by each passing moment, and she only prayed Yavanna will grant her enough time to say her farewells to her husband.

Dwarves had been calling for Bilbo, searching the battlefield, but as Bilbo had been wearing his ring, no one could see him - apart from her, of course.

When he finally started coming around, Viola immediately called to him, his eyes snapping to her. "They can't see you," she told him, her lips forming a small smile. "You still have your ring on, darling."

She could almost feel his eyes zoom on her lips, on the smile she was giving him. "You're not leaving, are you?"

But she was. She could already feel herself slipping, as ghostly tears streamed down her cheeks. The farewells they exchanged were sad, as could be expected, but still, Viola felt a spark of hope in Bilbo.

Bilbo, who finally found the will to live again.

**-o.O.o-**

From the rare moments she was allowed to look into the magical pool these days, she could see Bilbo smiling at his neighbors (even if he had a mighty scowl on his face when he returned to Hobbiton and found out the Sackville-Bagginses were trying to have him proclaimed dead - oh, the irony) and taking part in the events throughout the years.

She saw him taking in young Frodo, when his parents died, and the deep bond the two of them shared.

The so called Ring wars were scary affair, and Viola had been scared for young Frodo, but it all ended as well as it could - and after all those years of separation, Bilbo and she had been rejoined once again.

She whistled when she saw him, and he quickly turned around, catching her in his arms as they kissed. They were finally together, and nothing would separate them ever again.

* * *

**A/N:** And this is where this story ends. Thanks again for all your support, and see you around!


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